Why the Fund Decided to Divest from Fossil Fuels

In an opinion piece featured in The Guardian on March 30, 2015, Valerie Rockefeller, chair of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and a great-great granddaughter of John D. Rockefeller, explains the Fund’s rationale for joining the global shift toward divesting from fossil fuels and investing in clean energy businesses. She points to new developments in alternative energy sources, which has led the Fund to determine that as continuing down the fossil fuel path is both immoral and financially imprudent.

In a separate interview with The Guardian, Ms. Rockefeller and RBF president Stephen Heintz discuss the roots of the decision. They recall initial conversations about how it was counterproductive for the Fund to support organizations working to mitigate the effects of climate change while maintaining assets invested in destructive coal and tar sands. They also touch on the Rockefeller family’s longtime interest in conservation and ecotourism and how that has shaped the Fund’s mission.

The process of analyzing and screening investments,and the cautious early stages of impact investing are highlighted in Gotham Magazine’s article about the RBF’s investment decisions. RBF trustee Justin Rockefeller and Heintz also spoke to Barron's about the Fund's initial investments and its timeline for divesting.